


The Pine Tree Psyche

by CatNip_618



Series: Gravity Falls [5]
Category: Gravity Falls, Gravity Falls Au - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, BillDip, Dream demons, Escapees, F/F, FLUFF IS A LATER BOI, Gravity Falls - Freeform, Gravity Falls AU, Kidnapping, M/M, MIGHT BE A BIT RUSHED, Mabcifica, Mind Reading, Nightmare Realm, Other, Psychic Abilities, Stockholm Syndrome, interdimensional passageways, psyche hospitals, telekensis
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-20
Updated: 2018-12-11
Packaged: 2019-08-26 15:51:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 10
Words: 6,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16684552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatNip_618/pseuds/CatNip_618
Summary: FBI's most wanted mastermind criminal William "Billy" Cipher has been captured and sent to the Correctional Falls Institution for his life sentence.Dipper Pines had successfully been applied there and his famous great-uncle assigns him a surprising case. Dipper thinks he's prepared to meet his first patient, but he actually isn't. His patient is on a whole other level of society's "normal".Correctional Falls Institution, Dr. Dipper Pines, and Gravity Falls itself has yet to realize that William "Billy" Cipher is actually an all-powerful demon from a higher plane of existence: the Nightmare Realm.





	1. Wanted -- Dead or Alive

For the past four months, the nation had been paralyzed by fear from one mastermind killer whose name wasn't known until an anonymous tip revealed a huge lead in his case. Each crime scene had no trace of a person except for the victim themselves, and some of the detectives suspected an extraterrestrial play within each scene. Some of the victims had broken skulls even though there was no evidence of a blunt force used against them. There was no evidence of a pressurized force either. Police and scientists were stumped when the littlest of evidence didn't come up in their records of past solved and/or unsolved crimes. 

The hacking and the domination attempts were the same as the serial killings. There was one assassination attempt towards the President of the United States, but that was quickly erased so that the public eye wouldn't panic too much, and wouldn't get more frenzied than they already were. The NYPD (New York Police Department) was hacked multiple times and it had to go old school for almost a year because a scary-ass smart computer whiz was getting into their files. Some of their officers were murdered during the line of duty even though the occasional fugitive was unarmed. 

Officer Diaz stood behind his car as the house in front of him was swarmed with SWAT teams. Blue and red and white lights flashed everywhere, causing slight blindness in the man's eyes. The armor (not the chainmail kind) pressed against his torso uncomfortablly, but that was the least of his worries. 

This person was suspected to be highly, and extraterrestrailly dangerous, so an inventor was called to create a quatum destabilizing collar to clip onto the perpetrator when they were arrested. The quatum collar would send shockwaves through the wearer's body, and weaken mutated parts of the nervous system and a very small portion of the brain stem -- which if given too much would paralyze the wearer, and in rarer cases caused sudden death. 

The radio clipped to his shoulder buzzed with static before one of the SWAT's voice piped up. "Sir, we have not found the perpetrator nor the victims. We are advancing to the second floor. Do you copy?" Officer Diaz clutched his radio and pressed the transmission button. 

He responded quickly. "Advance to the second floor accessible. Do you copy?" Diaz could almost imagine the SWAT soldier montioning his comrades to storm the upper floor.  
"I copy," the SWAT replied from the other line. Diaz turned to his officers who were also behind their cruisers, and they took action. There was a sudden crazed-filled scream from within the building, and Diaz readied his firearm. His boss's word echoed in his mind: 'don't flinch...don't react'. 

How wrong they both were. 

The front door slammed open and a blonde-haired man stumbled out. A SWAT had restrained his arms and threw him onto the pavement. Diaz squatted and made his way towards the struggling man. He pulled out his handcuffs and snapped them around the man's wrists. The criminal didn't react much when the quatum collar was strapped around his neck like a dog's leash. The strange aura that pulsed around the soldiers and officers drastically dissipated. 

"William Cipher," he declared, "you are under arrest for the murders of over two hundred citizens and the multiple world-domination attempts and hacking felonies." 

William just cackled. "Call me Billy," he crowed cheerily.


	2. The Cipher Files

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dr. Dipper Pines has recently graduated from a high-ranking university, and he starts his new job at the Correctional Falls Institution, and his great-uncle, Dr. Ford Pines, assigns him to a new arrival nicknamed Billy. 
> 
> He warns him of Billy's mental and physical capabilities, but what he had in store was completely different from what he originally precieved of his patient.

Dipper Pines was now a successful psychiatric doctor. He'd graduated at the top of his class, majored in biology and psychology, and is now hiring for a job at his great-uncle's hospital: the Correctional Falls Institution. His twin sister, Mabel Pines had achieved her dream of sewing and creating elaborate outfits for everyone and anyone. 

The twins parents were in hospice care because of their declining health and rapid aging cycle. Their mother was at risk of a heart attack, so the hospice nurses admitted her into a hospital just in case. The father of the two was in moderate care, but he could still go about town in a wheelchair with the help of a physical therapist. 

Dipper had gone shopping at the town mall to look for some supplies. The first thing he bought was an alarm clock that blared profanities (he had no idea how it got there -- it was pure coincidence). Chuckling at himself for hating foul language, he had placed it in his cart for purchase. After purchasing some other items, the man headed home and set up the clock. 

The next morning he awoke hearing someone screaming profanities he hadn't known before. 

June 3rd was the start of his job at the Correctional Falls Institute, and he was glad of the lack of traffic. Dipper soon found himself sitting behind Dr. Ford Pines' office desk, waiting for the said doctor to enter. A nearby door opened, and the muffled sound of a flushing toilet was heard. 

"Ah, Dipper!" Ford exclaimed as his grandnephew stood. They shook hands firmly and then took their seats. 

"Good morning, Ford." Dipper nodded curtly. Ford nodded as he opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out a slightly thick file folder. On the front, in captialized letters, read CLASSIFIED INFORMATION in crimson red. Ford opened the folder and turned it to show Dipper. A photo was stapled to the left-hand corner of the records, and the records themself weren't even the offical-looking papers. 

"This patient arrived two days ago and had to be held in the seclusion room because he's classified as extremely dangerous. He's a really smart serial killer and he's actually tried to murder the President. He has too many killings to count, so we had to improvise...as you can see." Ford explained calmly. 

They'd been created with a simple document on a computer instead of a printed copy. Dipper shrugged that off and directed his attention to the photo. 

A blonde-haired man was smiling a smile too wide for his face, and his eyes were a strikingly bright blue against the flash of a camera. His teeth were rows of fangs and his ears were pointed like an elf's. His hair was swept to the side so causally it looked almost fake. Black highlights had been dyed in his locks, and his skin looked almost blemishless except for the small scatter of freckles across the bridge of his nose and a mole was visible beside his jawline. 

In Dipper's opinion, he didn't look like the stereotypical criminal but instead looked like a man girls would die for. 

"He looks like some sort of fairy...or a fae of some sort." Dipper sighed. Somehow, this man with blonde hair had caught his attention and he wanted to know more about him. He looked at his great-uncle Ford. 

"Is he my patient?" 

Ford nodded. "Yes, he is. I would like you to meet up with him in the seclusion room where he's being held, please." 

Dipper stood and brushed off his white coat. "Alright," he replied, "I'd like to meet this William Cipher guy."


	3. Beyond Belief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dr. Dipper Pines meets Billy and he gets more intrigued by his demeanor. His bright blue eyes and perfect complexion aren't the only thing that draws the psychiatrist farther into Billy's life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you're wondering, I came up with a little killer nickname for William...and I figured "Billy" would suit him best. 
> 
> The name sounds childish, and William mental state is bordering that area. Even if he's really smart. 
> 
> "Billy" also sounds simple, but it's actually more complicated and more confusing when someone's met a crazy serial killer who's got demonic powers like mind-reading.

The seclusion room had padded walls and a stiff carpet floor. In the very middle sat a lone table with a single lightbulb and two plastic chairs. 

The classic setup. 

Dr. Ford Pines closed the door, but informed Dipper of the cameras around the perimeter before doing so. 

Dipper was now left alone in an empty room. He still had Cipher's file his great-uncle had given him, so he opened it up and looked at the photo. "Will--" he was suddenly cut off by a quiet whisper from behind him. 

"Boo." William whispered in a sickly sweet voice. 

The man jumped in surprise, a high-pitched shriek escaping his mouth. He dropped the file folder, and the papers inside scattered messily. 

A man with blonde hair and blue eyes stood on the ceiling, smiling his too-wide smile. For a moment, Dipper thought his patient was hanging from a rope, but that wasn't it. Billy was simply standing on the ceiling as if it was a floor to him. Dipper's eyes trailed to the metal straightjacket that bound Billy's arms and the strange collar clipped around his neck. It had a green, blinking light. 

"Hiya, kid!" The man chirped happily. Dipper's mouth snapped open and shut like a suffocating fish. He instantly snapped out of his trance and gathered the papers that had fallen from his hands. Once neatened, Dipper took a seat in one of the chairs, and Billy started walking. 

On the ceiling. 

The doctor just gaped in disbelief. 

He had simply jumped down from the ceiling as if doing such a thing was as easy as breathing, and dragged the chair out with his bare foot so he could sit too. 

"What's your name, kid?" He asked cooly, bringing Dipper back to his attention. The man cleared his throat. "Dr. Pines. My name is Dr. Pines." 

Billy cackled. "Give me a break! C'mon, tell me your real name! Or else I'll have to force it out of you!" Dipper sighed. He knew the patient was energetic (based on what his great-uncle had told him), but he seemed so calm. Too calm in a situation like this. 

"Dipper." He answered in frustration. Billy was already getting on his nerves, too. 

Billy shook his head. "That's a nickname. Nobody is named Dipper Pines."  
Dipper crossed his arms. "Well, then...I'm the first Dipper Pines you've met."  
Billy laughed. "Nice one, kid," he paused, seeming to turn serious. "Tell me you actual name." 

Dipper crossed his arms, the folds of his coat pushing into his skin. "I'd rather not tell you," he huffed impatiently. Billy tapped his feet on the stiff carpet, his smile growing wider. "C'mon...you can tell me. It's not like I can yap about it around town." He guestered to the metal straightjacket. It reflected dully in the dim lightning.

Dipper chuckled drly. "Let's -- let's forget about names, okay? I have some questions for you."

Billy shrugged. "Alright then. Shoot."

The man adjusted his glasses. He opened the file. "Okay..." he exhaled through his nose. "Um...do you know why you're here?"  
Billy gave him a 'are-you-serious-right-now' look, and Dipper quickly ditched that question.

He quietly tucked a lock behind his ear. "Nevermind that. Next question: are you really what conspiracy theorists claim?" 

Billy shrugged again. "You'll have to wait to find out." 

Dipper looked at him accusingly. "So you are some sort of myth in the flesh?" 

"I didn't say yes nor did I say no. I said wait, Pine Tree."   
Dipper blanched at the name. "Wait, what? What do you mean by --" 

"Your coat," Bill guestered towards Dipper's outerwear. It had a blue pine tree beside his name. Dipper seemed to have a knack for pine trees. It was totally natural to him when he thought about it. But, this...nickname...was a mind-set changer, though. It made him uncomfortable that a serial killer nicknamed Billy was giving a psychiatrist a nickname. It was total irony within the situation. 

"Oh. Of course, my nickname's Pine Tree now." 

"Pfft. It suits you better." Bill smirked slightly. 

Dipper didn't want to get too comfortable around Billy, but some part of him was already comfortable. He felt like he could do anything with this person -- or whatever he is. Dipper wanted to talk to Billy for hours and hours nonstop. He wanted to know every corner and every nook and every cranny...

His thoughts got more and more confusing. Why was this happening so fast? So sudden? Slapping a hand over his mouth, Dipper came to the embarrassing conclusion. 

Dr. Dipper Pines might've been falling for William Cipher -- a maniac serial killer. 

He quickly stood just as Dr. Ford Pines opened the seclusion room door. Billy looked at him in slight confusion. His smile was smaller and a bit downturned. 

"Dipper, your session is --" 

"Over," Dipper interruppted rather quickly, gathering up the fallen papers and hurriedly leaving the room. Billy sat in his chair, smiling a little. The quatum collar didn't let him use his major abilities -- like mind reading, for example. He could tell something was bothering Pine Tree , but he knew not just by the other's body language. He could sense some sort of emotion that churned in him like unsettled stew. 

He'd have to interrogate Pine Tree next time to find out. And to maybe convince him to take off the quatum collar. 

He was a master at trickery and mischievous anyway, so it wouldn't be that hard...right?


	4. A Fine Line Between Love & Hate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dr. Dipper Pines realizes that he's become too attached to Billy -- and they'd literally just met!   
> He retreats to his new office near Ford's and decides to distract himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of you might think the romance is too rushed, and I'm aware of that. I'll try to slow down the pace for y'all, so just sit back, and relax!

The operational word is: might. 

Dipper had isolated himself within his new, office. Knees bouncing, Dipper kept denying. He MIGHT be falling for Billy.   
The man cringed at the thought. How'd that be possible when it's a criminal! 

Did it count with Stockholm Syndrome?  
"No," Dipper whispered to himself. "No way. Stockholm is when you're..." 

Kidnapped. 

Billy was an awfully smart man for his age (somewhere around twenty), and Dipper guessed that breaking out of a psychiatric hospital would be as simple as picking a lock. Running his fingers through his hair, Dipper sighed heavily. No way he'd allow Billy to abduct him. 

He laughed. How absurd that sounded! Being kidnapped by a escapee you MIGHT like is just a huge no-no. 

Dipper stood suddenly. "Fuck this shit!" He shouted to nobody. "I'm not letting this get in the way! I am NOT in love with William!" But, his heart was screaming 'yes I am' and 'no I'm not' at the same time. It leaned closer to denial, but whenever he thought of the submissive words...his heart raced. 

The man paced his office with worry. "I don't like him...I don't like him...I don't like William." 

That's when he spied the surveillance camera in the corner pointing towards him, its lens retracting. He forced himself to think of something else. Tapping his foot, he thought of his childhood crush, Wendy Corduroy. He'd think of her constantly until he accidentally revealed his feelings to someone that looked very much like her. It was awkward when Wendy heard and when the person had no idea what he was talking about. 

He chuckled at the awkwardness from so long ago. Mabel hadn't let him hear the end of it. 

His office door knocked suddenly, starling Dipper out of his thoughts. 

"Come in," he replied weakly. Dr. Ford opened the door. His brow furrowed. "Are you okay? You seem stressed." 

Dipper nodded. "First day jitters, that's all. William's a heavy load for me." Ford clapped his grandnephew on the shoulder, smiling. "Yeah, the really crazy ones can be bit of a burden at times." Dipper turned from his scarcely-filled bookshelf and sat behind his desk, stretching out his back and popping his joints. 

Ford took a seat across from him, resting his forearms on the sleek sheet of plastic that protected the wood. "I should've warned you a bit more earlier," he said with solemn exhale. His grandnephew waved him off dismissively. 

"No, no," he protested quietly, "it's fine. I wasn't aware of his records. I haven't even read them yet!" 

A pause. 

"Which reminds me..." Dipper got up and grabbed Billy's file. Sitting back down, he opened it to the front page. The man took his time for the criminal's background to sink in and as his great-uncle waited patiently. He started off with William's full name. 

WILLIAM AARON CIPHER -- AGE UNKNOWN. 

KILLINGS: Melody Withers (28), Cricket Sandy (45)...198 OTHERS LISTED. 

DOB (Date of Birth): UNKNOWN. 

HEIGHT: 6 ft, 2 inches. 

NICKNAMES: Billy; Gold Leaf Killer; the Blind Eye. 

ASSASSINATION ATTEMPTS: 1 LISTED -- President of the United States. 

ORIGIN OF KIN: UNKNOWN. MAY BE CONSIDERED OVER A CENTURY OLD. 

EXTRATERRESTRIAL ABILITIES: Telekinesis, psychokinesis, clairsentience, conjuration, energy medicine, levitation, mediumship, precognition, pyrokinesis, remote viewing, retrocognition, second sight, apportation, and astral projection. **POSSIBILITY OF AN INCREASED AMOUNT OF EXTRATERRESTRIAL ABILITIES -- REMAINS UNKNOWN** 

QUANTUM DESTABILIZATION COLLAR: Decreases energy use on extraterrestrial abilities. MUST BE WORN AT ALL TIMES/DO NOT REMOVE. 

NOTES: Capable of drawing citizens and strangers into his grasp, mostly without the victim taking notice. Nonstop flattery and gives out false implications of lovesickness (according to eyewitness reports and surviving abuse victims) to others. Classified as extremely dangerous/unpredictable, and must have 24 hour isolation. Currently serves a life sentence at Correction Falls Institution located in Gravity Falls, Oregon. Possibility of an elongated lifespan, life sentence will be [WITHOUT PAROLE]. 

Dipper silently placed the file onto his desk. 

"He...he has all those abilities? And I didn't even know?" 

Ford leaned towards the other man. "I'm afraid he's gotten into --" 

Dipper laughed, sounding almost like a lunatic. That wasn't taken lightly here, considering the amount of extraterrestrial maniacs living in cells. "Yeah," he crowed loudly, "Billy's already gotten in my head! That collar should have stopped that!" 

Ford shook his head. "No, Dipper. It weakens the energy; not stopping it." 

The ticking of the clock was just about to set Dipper off. Too much was happening at once. Billy had either gotten into his head and pressed some buttons, or it was all him. Dipper had set a strictly-followed rule: don't get sidetracked. 

He just broke that rule on the first day of his job with a extraterrestrial creature. 

Who may or may not be human at all.


	5. Delusion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper Pines returns home and asks his sister, Mabel Pines for help. 
> 
> His emotions get even more confusing when Mabel starts fangirling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My updating will be a bit slower because my dog got attacked by a German Shepard last night and I DID NOT take it very well. He's got a huge gash in his right leg and his ear, but he's with my stepmom right now. 
> 
> Life's a bit hard right now, so IDK what to do for now.

Dipper didn't dare tell his great-uncle Ford of his emotions revolving around William. He'd surely lose his medical license and be locked up along with the others. Ford recommended that he'd meet up with the man wearing the metal straightjacket and the quantum collar. 

Dipper hesitantly obliged. He then spent the rest of his shift in his office, reading through the rest of William's file. 

Not once did his feet stop tapping. 

Once returning home, Dipper conflicted if he should call Mabel and tell her about his new patient. Glancing at his phone every now and then, he finally speed-dialed her number and waited for her to pick up. She almost always did in the first place, unless she had a fashion emergency. 

The dial tone stopped midway. "Sup Dip? Need something?" He sighed. "Yeah. I just wanted to talk to you about my first day." 

"Oh yeah!" Mabel exclaimed a bit too loudly. "I totally forgot! So, how'd it go? Any interesting things happen?" 

The man took a seat at his bed, throwing off his white coat with the pine tree sewed onto the breast pocket. 'Pine Tree'. He winced slightly. 

"Well, you've heard of Billy, right? That lunatic who tried to kill the President?" 

Mabel screamed excitedly. Even as a fashion designer, she still took interest in the bad side of Gravity Falls. She's been barfing tips to the police (who has improved since Billy's first kill) when the TVs and newspapers just about exploded. "THE GOLD LEAF KILLER IS YOUR PATIENT?! On your first day even?" 

Dipper nodded, though Mabel couldn't see him from Piedmont, California. "Yeah," he chuckled at her excitement. "He's my patient. I met him today and he's...wow." 

Mabel giggled from the other line. "Handsome...?" 

The man blushed. "NO!" He shouted. "No. He has all these powers and stuff. Including telekinesis and levitation." 

No response. "Uh...Mabel?" 

"HE'S GOT POWERS?! SINCE WHEN?" Mabel wouldn't stop shrieking. Dipper had to hold the phone away a little. "Since? I have no clue. His records say he's over a hundred years old." Mabel heaved in a shocked gasp. 

"Are you talking to God, Dipper? Are. You. Talking. To. God?" 

The doctor spluttered a laugh. "G-God? I don't think so. He's more of a fallen angel or even a demon." His sister giggled. "Honestly, he'd be hot as a demon. Better than a vampire." Dipper blushed again. Regrettably, he thought William was hot too. He face-palmed once the thought crossed his mind. He whined pathetically.

"Ugh...Oh God." 

"You okay, bro-bro? Seems you're dealing with a...c-crush..." She trailed off and gasped again. "YOU LIKE BILLY?!" 

"NO!" Dipper's voice cracked. "NO! I don't! I-I'm straight, Mabel! DON'T TELL FORD ABOUT THIS. Oh my God...I'm so dead." 

Mabel cackled evilly. "Like hell you are!" And then hung up on her brother. Dipper's face was a deep crimson. His hands shook and his knees felt weak. He grabbed at his brown locks and groaned loudly. Good grief, why'd he have to meet up with someone so irresistible? Why did his great-uncle Ford assign him with this guy? 

Dr. Dipper Pines was going to have a long, harsh year...he dreaded tomorrow.


	6. Backwards REPHIC

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dr. Ford Pines recaps how the Correctional Falls Institution came to be. 
> 
> It started 30 years ago with the discovery of a shapeshifter and the murder of his assisant, Fiddleford McGucket.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My dog is doing okay. He had surgery and all but when I checked in on him this morning, he seemed pretty excited to see me. 
> 
> UPDATES WILL BE SLOW AT POINTS.

Dr. Ford has excelled in many fields ranging from psychiatry to global weirdness. Thirty years ago, the man captured a strange creature whose DNA could change constantly. He never knew how it worked, but the creature was the classic shapeshifter. Each day, the DNA-changing alien grew bigger in size and grew smarter.

Two weeks after Ford had captured the alien, his assistant, Fiddleford McGucket, was murdered and it took his place. Horrified at the discovery of Fiddleford's rotting corpse, he froze the shapeshifter in a containment area that had sub-degree zero temperatures and dropping.

Beacuse of the shapeshifter's demise and his assisant's untimely fate, he came up with the idea of creating a building that would hold any creature deemed outside society's "normal". Sightseers and scientists flocked to the place and were employeed to keep the nonstop-arriving aliens to be kept within containment.

But, a decade into his career, someone with terrible luck arrived and seemed to have powers along with psychiatric disorders. It caused a burst in the man's work, but he continued to thrive. Once more humanoid beings with mental illnesses started filling the start of his building, he changed the name and changed its allowance limit.

His brother, Stanley Pines, thoguht it was baloney to keep mentally ill people with unpredictable, otherworldly beings of unimaginable craze. Ford ignored him.

After thirty years, Ford had been correcting an employee's note-taking when he got a phone call.

He had pressed TALK. "Dr. Pines speaking." No response from the other line.

"Hello? Are you at need of assistance?"

A pause. There was a soft chuckle. "' 'Are you at need of assistance?'." The caller mocked him carelessly.

Ford was starting to worry. He had no idea what was happening and who this mysterious caller was.

"Sir? Are you alright?"

"A eniP eerT smaor ni ruoy enildoolb, rexiS." The caller was talking backwards, but Ford didn't realize that at the moment.

All he knew was that an anonymous person was talking nonsense and was probably prank-calling him. Before Ford could respond, the caller spoke again.

"esiarP eht ltoloxA, ro esle ytilaer lliw esaec ot tsixe. Kool nwod rneruB enaL dna uoy lliw dnif tahw re'uoy gnikool rof." Ford was getting more and more freaked out. This was weirder than the unsolved murders of the Gold Leaf Killer.

"Sir, can you please talk normally?"

"S'EREHT ON HCUS GNIHT SA LAMRON, DLO NAM!" The caller suddenly roared in a voice that sounded nothing like a human's. It crackled with a firey rage.

The doctor noticed that this call was as weird as the Gold Leaf Killer's untrackable path-making. He froze. Could...could be this the Gold Leaf Killer? No, FOrd scolded himself, no. Don't make such absurd assumptions!

"eeS uoy ni ruoy seramyad, ysdroF." He then hung up.

Ford quietly put the phone onto his desk and shuddered. This person was clearly very off-the-charts, and speaking something that was obviously not easily decipherable.

A lightbulb went off in the man's head. Hold on a minute.

Decipherable... He grabbed the phone and managed to find a recorded message of the call he'd just heard. _Decipherable....decipherable...decipherable_. He pressed REWIND. Pressed PAUSE. And then PLAY.


	7. Flip A Dip-Dip, You Get Letters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper is given two days off on Saturday and Sunday. He would arrived at the Correctional Falls Institution for emergencies. 
> 
> At 2:25 in the morning, the young man gets a call. And a letter. 
> 
> One is from his great-uncle Ford Pines, and the other is from someone unknown. Little did he realize, the moment he got the letter, it was the same moment William managed to get his quantum collar removed.
> 
> An unpredictable monster is now on the loose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm tired. Really tired. 
> 
> Nyeh nyeh nyeh...
> 
> IDK what I'm doing right now.

The sound of keys falling into a woven basket echoed throughout the household. 

Dipper sighed, shrugging off his white coat and tossing it discardingly onto a clothing rack. Ford had given him two days off because he was going to be out of town, and Dipper was still new around Correctional Falls Institution. 

He wandered into his living room, and stood awkwardly, rocking on his heels.  _What should I do now?_

A faint vibration was felt within his jeans pocket and Dipper dug out his phone. It was Mabel. 

He pressed TALK. "Sup, sis? What do you need? More boyfriend advice?" 

His sister giggled from the other line. "Nope. I think  _you're_ the one who needs boyfriend advice." Dipper's face almost immediately paled at the sound of her words. He face-palmed, groaning with frustration. "Oh my God, Mabel. Can we not do this now?" 

"Eh..." Dipper could almost see her shrug as if she didn't really care. "I'll let it slide. For now." 

The young man walked over to his sagging couch and sat in it, making it creak quite loudly. "Welp, Ford gave me two days off 'cause he's heading out of town for something I don't really know much about," he replied, sighing once again.

"Want me to come over? You sound bored out of you mind, Dipper." Mabel asked causally. 

Dipper shook his head, although Mabel couldn't see him. "Nah, I'm fine. Just waiting for anything to spontaneously occur so I can...I don't know...Help someone?" 

There was a sudden crash from Mabel's line. "Speaking of spontaneous...I've got to go! Candy dropped another dress-making mannequin!" She hung up on him again. Dipper stared at the screen of his phone. Draping his forearm over his eyes, the man chose to rest. 

 

((^^))

 

_RING!_

 

Dipper groaned sleepily. 

What time was it? 

 

_RING! RING!_

 

The man propped himself with his arms and grabbed his phone.

"I'm up, I'm up..."

He pressed TALK without checking the ID. So many calls this past week! Jesus Christ. 

"It's 2:30 in the morning, what's -- " He was cut off by a frantic call of his real name: Mason. 

Dipper sat up, instantly more alert than moments before. "Uncle Ford? What's wrong?" His said uncle was breathing fast and heavily. Something was really wrong, and to have been called this early in the goddamn morning was making Dipper's alarms wail nonstop. 

"Dipper! Lock your doors!" 

 

Wait...what?

"What do you mean?" Dipper asked, perplexed. 

 

"Don't ask any questions! Close your blinds and  _lock your doors_!  _NOW!_ " Ford was getting more and more freaked out and Dipper had no idea why. Well, he  _did_ have an idea, but it was too absurd to question it. He shot out of his bed and shuttered his blinds and locked his bedroom door. This situation seemed far too dangerous for him to leave the haven of his bedroom, so he stayed put and secured himself. 

"What's going on? Did one of the patients escape?" Whoops. He let his question slip. Shouldn't have done that. 

"YES! WILLIAM GOT OUT!" Ford shouted in panic. Dipper was glad he asked that question to know the specfics of the problem, but he also mentally kicked himself for asking the question, but the latter ruled out. Locking doors was better than standing in bewilderment. 

As he was shuttering another window, he caught sight of something. 

 

A neatly folded piece of paper. His name -- his real name -- was scrawled in cursive. It was addressed to him. 

 

He picked it up, but didn't open it. 

"Ford!" He quietly whispered into the phone, not knowing exactly why he'd dropped his voice. 

"WHAT?!" His uncle wouldn't stop freaking out. Shouldn't he be calm when someone really dangerous had escaped? Apparently not! 

"I-I found something." Dipper's voice shook just a little bit. Ford's panicked breathing slowed drastically. "You  _found_ something? Like...a letter? Open it!" Dipper cradled his phone to his ear with his shoulder so that he could use both hands. He didn't have much time -- or even none at all -- so he was quick. 

 

"WHAT DOES IT SAY?" 

"I-It says..." 

 

_THUNK._

 

Dipper's muscles tensed up. Someone was here. Someone was trying to break into his house. 

"DID I JUST HEAR SOMETHING, DIPPER? DON'T TELL ME I HEARD SOMETHING!" Ford seemed to be starting his car. A police car was nearby because Dipper could hear the crusier's sirens.  _Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up!_ His heart had been racing a little, but now it was full-blown screaming in fear. 

"D-D-Doesn't matter! I've got the doors locked! I'll read the letter!" 

"I'M DRIVING TO YOUR HOUSE RIGHT NOW! I'VE CALLED THE COPS! Read the letter later; arm yourself!"

Letting the letter flutter to the khaki carpet, Dipper rushed to his closet as the thunking sounds got louder. Sadly, his mind was blank. Blank, blank, blank. 

 

_THUNK THUNK THUNK._

 

" _...pine tree..._ " 

 

Dipper swore. "FUCK NO." William was breaking into his house! He grabbed his lamp, disconnected it from the wall with an unsatifactory rip, and raised it like a batter ready to swing. He was still on the line with his uncle. "Ford! He's here! William's here!" 

"COPS ARE HERE, KID." Ford yelled. "JUST WA -- " 

 

His grandnephew screamed suddenly from the other line. 

A loud, horrible  _crack!_ was heard. 

 

"DIPPER! ANSWER ME." Ford turned to the cop tracing the call. The cop nodded to the SWATs waiting to break down the door. 

 

A low, eerie chuckled sounded from Ford's phone. 

 

"Too late, Sixer. Pine Tree is  _MINE._ " 


	8. Limbo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper Pines awakens nowhere close to home. 
> 
> It's been 2 days since he was kidnapped. 
> 
> Ford is frantic and search parties are everywhere.

"...2 days since Dr. Pines' grandnephew was kidnapped..." 

"...Escapee takes Dr. Dipper Pines..." 

"...Search parties..." 

It's been 2 days since Dipper was taken by the escapee named William. Ford demanded search parties the day he vanished, but nothing was turned up. William's cell was empty except for a discarded metal straightjacket and a quantum collar. 

Dipper's room had a broken lamp and unmade bed as evidence. His doors were locked and his windows were shuttered. Mabel Pines, his sister, found out a few hours after her brother's disappearance. She found out how powerful William actually was and how dangerous he was also. 

The nation was once again chained up in binds of fear and worry, waiting for another heinous crime to emerge. But...nothing. It was quiet for too long. 

They knew it was the calm before the storm. And the storm was fast approaching. 

 

Somewhere far from home, a battered man slowly awoke. 

"Hngh...Wh -- ?" 

The floor felt weird. Not _I-passed-out-so-hard-that-everything's-halluncinatory_ weird. It felt...otherworldly...to the waking man. He sensed a presence nearby, but he was too tired to really notiice. As he shakily tried to lift himself from the otherworldly flooring, someone grabbed his chin. Startled, he attempted to tear away from the person's grip, bu they kept him firmly in place. 

Someone spoke. "Looks like you're awake now, kid." They --  _he_ \-- sounded familiar. 

Dipper's vision swam. He had a hard time talking. His body felt pathetically weak. He was still in his black tank top and jeans, and they didn't feel all that clean. "I can't see..." He slurred quietly. In response, a bright blue flame lit up and brought minimal light into the surrounding area. 

The weakened man's gaze trailed to the flame, wondering why it was blue when he caught sight of his kidnapper. 

His eyes widened in realization. "William?" 

The blonde-haired man smiled, showing off his two rows of fangs. " _In carne, pinus lignum_ \-- in the flesh, Pine Tree." Dipper kept his eyes on him, but the hypontic flames were extremely distracting. "How -- ? H-How are you doing...that?" 

William scoffed. "Yeesh. You're that naive? Take a look around!" 

In an instant, the man's eyes seemed to adjust to the darkness around him, and he realized where he was. It was a strange, kaleidoscope world that he didn't recognize. Stars and constellations lined the sky -- or whatever the galactic surface was deemed to be. Whirling homes of black holes churned onward without stop; strange dimensional rips tore deep into the starry surface of the elsewhere, and strange, unimaginable creatures roamed. 

Dipper realized that the floor he was on was actually a interdimensional chessboard. William sat on a Victorian-era chair from above, watching.

"Welcome," William crowed loudly, "to my home:  _manus somnum exterreri solebat_ \-- the Nightmare Realm!"


	9. Stamps and Papers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ford and the FBI begin an investigation of Dipper's kidnapping. But, there's a scarce amount of evidence...except for the letter the man found before vanishing.
> 
> And Mabel gets a notification.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haven't updated in a while & it's killing you. Sorry 'bout that.  
> I got my cochlear implant updated yesterday, so now I'm hooked up BLUETOOTH style. 
> 
> LITerally -- I can control how loud I can hear now with a tiny remote (4 buttons; that's it). 
> 
> LITerally -- I can be tracked with Bluetooth, I can connect (& pair) my implants with Bluetooth, and I can listen to TV (& music & iPhones & computers & iPads & stalk my parents w/ their private calls) at my own pace! 
> 
> *Idea of tech would be connected to social media wirelessly. THAT HAS BEEN ACHIEVED SUCCESSFULLY, BOIS.

Ford answered the call. "Mr. Hernandez? Did you find anything?" 

It'd been another 8 days since his grandnephew was kidnapped. No evidence of an attack was brought up, but a break-in was clear. William had escaped from the Correctional Falls Institution, and all he left behind was his discarded metal straightjacket and the quantum collar. They both were taken in for testing, but no fingerprints turned up. 

So, Mr. Hernandez was the leader of Dipper's case, and he allowed Ford in on it. 

"Yes," Hernandez stated stoically, "you mentioned a letter during your last call with Dr. Pines?" Ford winced. He tried to not think about the terror that filled his grandnephew's voice; the scream was the worst. 

It rang in his head at night and gave him unimaginable nightmares.  _He's here!_ Dipper had screamed helplessly,  _William's here!_

_William's here!_

_William's here!_

William...that bastard. He had fooled his grandnephew and kidnapped him in the dead of night. 

"What about it?" Ford asked, his voice strained. Hernandez exhaled sharply. "Well, we found the letter. I think you should take a look." The successful psychologist perked up, his jaw dropping just slightly. "Wait, what? You HAVE it? Can you send me a copy?" 

"Yes, Dr. Pines, we have it as a new break in the case. It could lead us somewhere...Also, we'll send you a copy. It should be there (if it gets in the mail) by next week. Is that okay with you, sir?" 

The doctor was pratically beaming, despite the circumstances. "Yes! Send it over today!" 

 

((^^))

 

Mabel curled tighter into her blankets, tears seeping into the fabric. It'd been almost 2 weeks since...her brother...was. Taken. She hated herself and hated Billy. She was gullible enough to think that Billy was going to stay in the Correctional Falls Institution for who knows how long, but no. Mabel Pines was dead,  _dead_ wrong. 

_Why did I tease Dipper about his maybe-crush on that patient? Clearly, he was confused and he was a lunatic!_

Suddenly, the hot pink laptop of hers sounded, snapping the girl out of her depressed trance. A spark of hope burst in her heart, and she scrambled over to wrangle the device out of HIBERNATE. Once logged in, several notifications popped up. Some from her friends, but one from Grunkle Ford. 

The notification was in Mabel's GMAIL, so she opened it up there...

_TO: Mabel Pines_  
_FROM: Dr. Ford Pines  
_ _SUBJECT: EVIDENCE_

_A piece of evidence has been found. Contact me when you are available._

_Sincerely,  
Grunkle Ford _

_[COPY OF "Evidence Case 618-A: the Letter"]_

Mabel reread the email multiple times before her mind properly processed what was sent to her. She looked at the copy of the "Letter". Moving her fingers across the keyboard, the girl opened the letter. But, before she chose to read it, Mabel closed her eyes. "it's okay," she whispered to herself, "it's okay. It could give you some insight about your missing brother..." 

 

She opened her eyes. 


	10. Spilled Ink

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mabel reads the letter. 
> 
> Ford looks for more clues, already suspecting where his grandnephew is. 
> 
> Dipper awakens in a cell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Halsey's Gasoline will play in this chapter. 
> 
> LYRICS ARE ADDED! 
> 
> ___________________________________________

_Are you insane like me?_

 

It's dark. 

 

"Huhn...?" 

 

And cold. 

 

_Been in pain like me?_  
_Bought a hundred dollar bottle of champagne like me?_

 

The ground is concrete. 

 

The man doesn't know where he is. 

 

His wrists are bound, but the chains are loose. 

 

"Ugh..." He can hardly talk. 

 

Everything HURTS.  

 

_Just to pour that motherfucker down the drain like me?_

_Would you use your water bill to dry the stain like me?_

 

"Welp, you're finally waking up, kid!" William chortles. 

Dipper lifts himself into a sitting position. 

 

_Are you high enough without the Mary Jane like me?_

 

He feels drunk. Really drunnk. 

But, he's never drank before. 

 

It's not allowed in his household. 

 

Or with a job at an lunatic asylum. 

 

_Do you tear yourself apart to entertain like me?_  
_Do the people whisper 'bout you on the train like me?_

 

Someone grabs his chin and forces the weakened man to look up. 

William is smiling at me, fangs bared. 

"You up, Pine Tree?"

 

_Saying that you shouldn't waste your pretty face like me?_

Dipper shuddered at the nickname. 

 

"Get..." he coughs, "me out...of...here." 

 

The man above him shakes his head. "How about...NO?" 

 

"Will...it hurts. I'm tired. Why am I here? Where is  _here_...?"  

 

_And all the people say_  
_You can't wake up, this is not a dream_  
_You're part of a machine, you are not a human being_

 

"Jeez, kid. Didn't see you as the talkative type!" He laughed his firey, crackling laugh. "It's the Nightmare Realm." 

 

_With your face all made up, living on a screen_  
_Low on self esteem, so you run on gasoline_

_I think there's a flaw in my code_

 

Dipper's eyes widen. Foggy memories of him holding a lamp like a player's bat shift through his mind. 

"You kidnapped me..." He rasps pathetically.  

 

_These voices won't leave me alone_  
_Well my heart is gold and my hands are cold_

_Are you deranged like me?_

 

"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't." 

 

_Are you strange like me?_  
_Lighting matches just to swallow up the flame like me?_  
_Do you call yourself a fucking hurricane like me?_  
_  
Pointing fingers 'cause you'll never take the blame like me?_

_And all the people say_  
_You can't wake up, this is not a dream_

 

Almost fully aware, but still loopy, Dipper jerks away from William's grasp. "You're sick. Deranged. INSANE." 

His response wasn't helped out when William shot back. "Sure I am! What's your point?" 

 

_You're part of a machine, you are not a human being_

 

The man yanked on the chains and cuffs, but they only dug into his skin. He remembered waking on that interdimensional chessboard; he remembered the flash of blue eyes and yellow magic before he passed out; he remembered...

He remembered lots of things. 

 

He growled. "Who are you REALLY, William?" 

The person let his chin rest on the flat of his palm. "That's an easy question: I'm a demon. A being of pure energy." 

_With your face all made up, living on a screen_  
_Low on self esteem, so you run on gasoline_

 

_I think there's a flaw in my code_

He leaned in close. 

_These voices won't leave me alone_  
_Well my heart is gold and my hands are cold!_

 

"And I'm also your worst nightmare." 

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on Wattpad -- MaximumFan4431!


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